Topic: Advice for women in the military

I'm trying to decide what to do when I finish my last semester of school, and I'm considering the Air Force. I need info or advice on what it would be like to be a female in the Air Force.

October 17th, 2011

Warwick

Same as any other women in the airforce???
A good job, good money, excellent working conditions and you don't have hump a ruck throughthe boonies like a grunt!!!!
Seriously what sort of job are you looking at??????
Technical trade or clerical for example......

October 17th, 2011

42RM

Your profile says you´re a male.
And now you want to join the Air Force as a female?

Oh well – “Don't ask, don't tell”

--

October 17th, 2011

LeEnfield

Nice one 42 RM

October 17th, 2011

SigJohnson

Says female now, damn that surgery is fast!

October 17th, 2011

khutch

Hey! Focus on the question. I'm looking for feedback, not laughs. I realise that everyone's experience is different, but I want to know how women are generally treated. I'm trying to get as much information as possible, but I don't have many people to ask. As far as a job is concerned, I've done research, but I don't know what I would be doing.

October 17th, 2011

42RM

Well last I heard, the USAF is almost 20% female while the Army is somewhere between 12-14%.Just like any other job or place, for that matter, women are always treated differently. Especially in a job that has been a "mans job" for so long. If you do your fair share of the work and don't act like some whinny chick. A soldier is a soldier regardless of sex. If you do your part and don't play the gender card to get out of things you will do fine and you will be treated with respect but it’s not going to be the same for you as it is when you are a guy!

It’s the way life goes. Nothing is going to change it and nothing can change it. Best thing to do in those cases is do your absolute best and let them know that you aren’t some "little girly girl". That you have as much business doing the assigned task as any other man does. If you are going to take on a "mans job" then you are going to have to prove that you are "better" than a man.

It’s as simple as that.

Good luck to you though! I hope you decide to join!

November 20th, 2011

Nicole March

For females, I think that the AF is a good choice because you are safe.. Females are prohibited from direct combat duties by congress. You are not allowed to do a direct combat job. But that doesn't mean you can't get deployed, or can't carry a weapon, you just can do a job where the main point is to be in combat. If you are in Iraq/Afghanistan, you will likely never leave the base.

For females, I think that the AF is a good choice because you are safe.. Females are prohibited from direct combat duties by congress. You are not allowed to do a direct combat job. But that doesn't mean you can't get deployed, or can't carry a weapon, you just can do a job where the main point is to be in combat. If you are in Iraq/Afghanistan, you will likely never leave the base.

While I agree that the AF is the "safer" choice, in today's world, there's no such thing as "safe" when you're in country. Whether you're doing a foot patrol in some mountain village, or tucked away somewhere in KAF, there's always the risk of something going horribly wrong. Obviously, outside the wire is inherently more dangerous than inside, but to call anywhere "safe" is just kidding yourself.

Case in point: one of the guys I work with recently came back from A-stan. He never once left KAF, since his job pretty much kept him at a desk (anyone who had air support during that time frame, you have him to thank). At one point, he left for something a few minutes later than he usually would have, and it's a good thing he did, otherwise I wouldn't be working with him today. A rocket took out the structure he was supposed to be in.

So, like I said...nowhere in country is truly "safe".

And now, back on topic. While I can't speak for how the USAF does things, the females in the RCAF are treated pretty much equally as the guys as far as job equality goes (ie: do your job well, and get treated well), but the basic fitness standards are much lower for females. I'd assume things are similar in the USAF.

Regardless of what you end up doing, I wish you the best of luck.

November 21st, 2011

dombarber

Quote:

Originally Posted by khutch

I'm trying to decide what to do when I finish my last semester of school, and I'm considering the Air Force. I need info or advice on what it would be like to be a female in the Air Force.

I think it will also depends on the choice of profession....
Recruitment numbers......and levels of vacant jobs....
Having been in contact with Army Girls....